This Kapow pupil video is part of the Kapow French scheme of work. It introduces pupils to the phoneme made by the letter j, which always makes a soft sound in French, quite different from how it is used in English. Pupils also discover that the letter g makes the same soft sound when it appears before e or i. Examples such as bonjour, je m’appelle, and rouge help them hear how the phoneme works in real words.

The video demonstrates the correct mouth mechanics, encouraging pupils to put their teeth together, shape their lips for a sh sound, and then add a buzzing vibration, like the sound in the English word treasure. Pupils practise recognising and producing this sound, before listening to sentences and spotting where the soft j appears, including in magique. By the end, they understand that both j and sometimes g can make the same soft phoneme in French, and are challenged to identify other words that use it.

French, Lower key stage 2, Year 3, Unit 1: French greetings with puppets, Lesson 1: French greetings